Machine for taking, printing, and projecting motion-pictures.



J. T. WELLS.

MACHINE FOR TAKING, PRINTING, AND PROIECTIN'G MOTION PICTURES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 5. I914.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Hvwooeo r m & z/wyd J. T. WELLS.

MACHINE FOR TAKING, PRINTING, AND PRoIEcIINs MOTION PICTURES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. SI 1914. 1,165,146. Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

I 5 SHEETS SHEET 2- wwwzooeo WMT M.

J. T. WELLS.

MACHINE FOR TAKING, PRINTING, AND PROJECTING MOTION PICTURES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 5, 1914.

. 1,165,146. Patented Dec. 21, 191:).

5 SHEETSSHEET 3 F5. J4 1 L Illllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllullm n mum v/rw y-d M Q aumw J. T WELLS. MACHINE FOR TAKING, PRINTING, AND PROJECTING MOTION PICTURES.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

5 SHEETS SHEEI' 4.

APPLICATION FILED OCT 5. I914.

J. T. WELLS.

MACHINE FOR TAKING, PRINTING, AND PROJECT ING MOTION PICTURES. APPLICATION man 00113. 1914.

1,165,146, Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

CI l/ I w w I I 755-- UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIcE.

JOHN T. WELLS, OF NEWPORT, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO THE EDWARDS MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

MACHINE FOR TAKING, PRINTING, AND PROJECTING MOTION-PICTURES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

Application filed October 5, 1914. Serial No. 865,129.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN T. WELLS, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Newport, in the county of Campbell and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Taking, Printing, and Projecting Motion-Pictures, of which the following specification is a full disclosure.

My invention relates to moving-picture machines especially designed for use in taking, printing and exhibiting animated pictures and has more particular relation to that class of machines wherein a single film feeding and light controlling mechanism is combinedin a unitary structure and removably mounted to facilitate its use in connection with other devices in the accomplishment of the three separate operations.

The features of this invention are more fully set forth in the description of the. accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which F ig ure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of my improved camera. Fig. 2 is a top plan view, partly in section, of one end thereof showing the film magazines. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the center of the removable unitary structure comprising the film feeding and light controlling mechanisms. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation thereof. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail section on line 66, Fig. 4,*show-- ing the operating means for the fire-shutter.

Fig. 7 is a plan section on line 77, Fig. 6. I Fig. 8 is a rear elevation, partly in section,"

with the back plate removed. Fig. 9 is a central vertical section of'the upper portion of the back plate and adjacent parts, showing the resilient printing plate in place. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the printingplate. Fig. 11 is a detail view of the part of the camera-box, showing the magazine operating key. Fig. 12 is a front elevation,

showing the means for elevating the lenstube and focal-tube. F ig. 13 is a front elevation with the lensboard removed and showing the light shutter. Fig. 14 is a side elevation of a projecting table with the unitary film and light controlling unit attached thereto and ready for use as a projecting machine.

The camera-box consists of a base 1, and a box-like cover 2 secured thereto by suitable latches, one of which is shown in Fig. 11.

These magazines are provided with pairs ofeye brackets 6, adapted to be threaded over the uprights 3, the brackets of the magazine 5 resting on collars 7, and the brackets of magazine 4, resting on brackets of magazine 5, as shown in Fig. 1. Each magazine is composed of two telescoping sections 8, 9, the section 8 having a spindle 10, whichsup ports the film reel 11. It will be noted that the rear eye brackets .6 are longer than the forward brackets, thereby causing the line of film feed to converge toward the forward medial portion of the camera. Each of the sections 8, 9, is apertured peripherally, and when the machine is ready for operation, these apertures register to provide film openings 12, but when the magazines are to be removed from the camera, these openings must be closed by partially rotating the section 9, to destroy said registry of the apertures. This is accomplished from the exterior of the camera by a key 13, (see Figs. 2 and 11), which islimited in its movements by stop projections 14, formed on a plate 15, secured to the camera and through which said key passes. This key has a bifurcated inner end which engages a bail 16, secured to the magazine section 9. Of course it will be understood, by referring to Fig. 2, that there is one of such keys for each magazine, and that the magazines are of the same construction, and, therefore, interchangeable.

As shown, the magazine 4 contains the supply reel and the magazine 5 the rewind reel, which is driven by a belt 17 leading from a belt pulley 19 on the power shaft of the machine to a pulley 18 screw threaded on the end of the film reel spindle; U

The film and light controlling unit or interchangeable head is positioned on the forward end of the base 1, its frame work consisting of a front board 20, a base-board 21, and a lining plate 22, to which two side frames 23, 24, supporting the film feeding mechanism, are secured, and this frame ex tends in a vertical plane parallel with and only slightly separated from the lens-board, with which it is. unitarily mounted. For clamping said unit to the camera base 1, I provide said base with a pair of bolts 25, extending upwardly therefrom and which register with holes bored through the baseboard and lining plate 22 of said unit, unit being clamped by t-liuinb nuts 26.

As shown in Figs. 3, 5, the lens-holder is detachably retained within a recess in the front board 20, by a retaining plate 31, and a catch 32, and contains a vertically adjust able lens-plate 33, supporting the lens-tube 3%. A vertically adjustable focal-tube plate is mounted in the front board near the lining plate 22 and carries a focal-tube 36, which projects rearwardly through an elongated aperture in said lining plate and terminutes with a framing plate 37. The member adjustably supporting these l ns and focal tubes, may be conveniently regarded as a lens-board unit carrying the light controlling provision. The light shutter operates between. the spaced ends of the axially alined lens and focal. tubes, interior of the camera board. The film guide plate 38, (see Fig. 3), is of an elongated double formation, having an intermediate straight portion provided with an elongated opening r film hght exposure aperture 39, in which i disposed the framing; plate mounted. on the inner end of focal-tube 3t This guide plate is secured to and serves as support for other will be described.

To guide and l in its travel past 3 vide two sheet inutal stris guide plate38, one on ea 1 5. 39, and having}; intn ride channels. he film in its travel throughthe nrachine is first by a constantly driven ed roller 4-2, which serves to replenish th film loop 43 initially manually formed, during the threading of the film into the inachine. The film is net-rt: intermittently fed through the guide channels and pastthe focal exposure provision, by an intermittently operated roller The constantly driven roller 4&5 serves as a take-up roller and between. said roller and the roller it, is another, initially manually formed film loop 46 These film loops relieve the film of any excessive feeding strains and by reason. thereof an even tension of the film past the focal plane is obtained.

The feed rollers are provided near their marginal ends with. sprocket te h 4-7, adapt-- ed engage in perforations a the 111a,," nal edges o the film and bet sprocket teeth the rollers are sirrlucer rubber, as indicated by the referonc meal 48, insure a positive film, in tl "ations in said film are mutilate T roller ll 3 is secured to av shaft journalcc the side fran'ics and which on the outer of the side frame caries a {gear to, in mesh with an idler s d en by a n cer secured to the power shaft tower shaft is journal the lininQT-plate parts 7 l "(1* iii.

the side frame 24 and is supported at its inner end by a bracket 5st, secured to said side frame, see Figs. 1, i and 8. The takeup roller l5 is secured to a'shaft 5 1-, journaled in the side frames and provided with a gear 55, which, through the idlers 56, 57, is in driving connection with the gear Loosely mounted on a stud shaft 58, secured to the side frame 2i, is a cupped disk 59, to which is secured a pinion 60, in mesh with the peripheral teeth 61 of a double faced gear secured to the power shaft. The dish 59 has its rim cut away at diametrically opposite sides, as at 62, and is provided with two operating pins 53. The intermittent feed roller A is secured to shaft 61, which is journaled at one end in the side frame 23. and in a bracket 65 secured thereto. Said roller has an. elongated hub (56, to which is secured a triangular shaped operating wheel (3?, which is preferably made of fiber to make its operation noiseless. As shown in l ig. 5, this wheel is provided with tangential slots 68 and locking surfaces 69, said surfaces being concentric with the stud shaft 5% and engaging the inner periphery of the rim of the disk 59, to lock the wheel 67 and feed roller ll against rotation during the dwell of the intermittent film feed. During;-

r, c) M tate the feed roller l-t one-third of a rcvoluin the slots 68, of the wheel 67, to rotion, to advance the film. As shown in Fig". 8, the right hant end of the roller ll is supported in a plate 70, which extends upwardly k and is secured on the stud shaft 58, between loch nuts '31. The upper end of said plate is slotted, as at 7:2, to provide an adjustment of the wheel 67 relative to the rim of'the disk For holding the lihu in contact with the feed roller ii, I provide a tension device consisting of a. pair of rubber surfaced rollers 75, carried by a housing 76. Said housing is provided with studs 77, which project iihn chute to ment to the feed roller.

lhiplicate tension devices 80, 81, are pro' V'QIOW I: 1 .4 L ]1 ,q oca for t 1e intermittent ecd 10 e1 Tl and the takeup roller l5. These are carried by a back-plate 82, which is removablv pivotednear the bottoms of the side frames and is held in position by a bail 83, engaging its upper edge. ll) raising said bail the back. plate d2 may be swung backward,

s own in dotted lines in 3, to permit t of the film into the machine.

The back-plate 82wis provided with a light aperture 84 for admitting the light rays of a projecting lantern to the film when the machine is used as a projecting machine.

As there is always danger of the film becoming ignited by the heat of the light rays, when it is run too slow or stopped, I provide a fire-shutter 90, which is governed by the speed of the intermittent feed roller 44. This fire-shutter extends over the full area of the light aperture 84, and is secured to an upright rod. 91, journaled in the backplate at 92, and in a bracket 93 attached thereto. A coil spring 94 surrounds the rod, one end bearing against the face of the fire shutter and the other end extending into an orifice in the back plate. Said springis normally under tension and tends to force the fire-shutter against the back-plate to close the light aperture 84, said movement being made noiseless by a rubber bumper 95, secured to the fire-shutter. Secured to the lower end of the rod 91, opposite the shaft of the roller 44 is a cylinder 96, having a plurality of elongated spiral teeth 97 which are adapted to be engaged with a camming action by the teeth 98 of a triangular wheel 99, to oscillate the fire-shutter and to expose the light aperture 84. The wheel 99 is secured to the hub of the roller 44, by a set screw 101, to provide for lateral adjustment of said wheel.

tooth 97 and rotate the cylinder 96 'suffi eiently to bring the second spiral tooth into operative alinement with the plane of travel of the teeth 98, thereby commencing the opening'movement of the fire shutter. If the next tooth 98, of the wheel 99, is brought into action with the second spiral tooth with sufiicient rapidity, the rotation of the cylinder will be continued, otherwise the coil spring 94 will act when triangular wheel 99 assumes the position shown in Fig. (3, and before the second tooth 98 has had time to engage the second spiral tooth. 97 Thus it will be seen that as long as the speed of action of the teeth 98 against the spiral teeth 97 is quicker than the action of the spring 94, the opening movement of the fireshutter will continue until the last spiral tooth 100 is engaged. This tooth has less lead than the teeth 97, it being just sulficient to retain the shutter practically sta tionary in its open position. By laterally adjusting the triangular wheel 99, the point of contact between the teeth 98 and 97 will be varied with a corresponding variation in the speed required for effecting an opening mo vement of the fire shutter.

The fire-shutter and framing up devices herein disclosed are made the subject-matter of my companion applications respectively, Serial No. 865,131, filed October 5, 1914, and

j 865,130, filed October 5, 1914, and are only In starting the machine, one 1 of the teeth 98 will engage the first spiral claim'ed herein as constituting elements of combinations in the organized machine.

In ordinary projecting machines it is per missible to place a light shutter in front of the lens, but in a camera or picture-taking machine, this would not be practical for the reason that a light tight joint could not be made between a rapidly moving shutter and the face'of the lens-tube. When the machine is used as a printingmachine,the lensboard 30 is removed. These circumstances make it necessary to place the light shutter 1.05 within-the hollow front board 20 just in front of the focal tube plate 35. The shaft of this shutter is journaled in the liningplate 22 and a bracket 106 and carries a pinion 107 which meshes with the teeth 108 of a double-faced pinion loosely journaled on a stud 109. The beveled teeth 110 form continuations of the teeth 108 and mesh with beveled teeth 111-of the double-faced gear, previously described. Thus, the light shutter is positively driven in unison with the film feeding mechanism.

When projecting, it is necessary to properly frame the pictures with the framing plate 37 by vertical adjustment thereof; also the lens-plate 33 must be simultaneously adjusted to maintain a true axial alinement of the focal-tube and lens-tube. WVhen printing, the lens-board 30, in its entirety, has been removed, the adjustment of the focal tube being accomplished by inserting a finger in said tube and raising or lowering it' as desired.

For adjusting both plates 33 and 35 in unison, I provide a handle 115 (see Figs. 12 to 14.) pivoted on an upright 116', which is detachably secured by a set screw 117, in a bracket 118. Said handle carries a clevis 119, having hook ends 120 and 121, the hook 120 engaging into an aperture in the upper end of the focal-tube 35, and the hook 121 engaging into an aperture in the upper end of the lens tube plate By pinching together the arms of the clevis 119, its hook ends may be disengaged from the plates. This mechanism is made in demountable form to permit its removal when the film and light controlling unit is to be mounted within the camera-box so that the size of said box may be confined to reasonable limits, although it is obvious that said mechanism may be permanently incorporated in the machine and a larger camera-box provided.

In the printing of the positive film, the developed negative and a sensitized film are simultaneously fed through the machine past the framing-plate 37. the negative being next to said plate. To yieldingly hold said films in close contact and to provide a backing therefor, I provide a detachable printing plate 130, (see Figs. 9 and 10), formed of spring sheet metal and provided with hook ends adapted to engage the top and bottom edges of the light aperture 84, in the back plate 82.

In mounting the film and light controlling unit on the projecting table 140, the holes in the base-board 21 and lining-plate 2'2 register with bolts 14-1 in said'table, which are similar in form and spacing to the bolts 25 of the camera base 1. Thumb nuts 26 clamp said unit securely to the projecting table. A projecting lantern L12, is mounted on the rear portion of the table, which is provided with supporting legs 143. The supply film reel magazine 1 13, is mounted on the upper end of a rod 14 1-, which is pivoted in a bracket 145, secured to the front portion of the table and is provided with a vertically adjustable clamp member 1 16 secured in set position by a thumb screw 14:7. Said clamp 1-16 has a hooked inner end which hooks over the top of the front board 20 and lining plate 22, to support the rod'ltd in vertical position. The rewind reel magazine 149 is supported below the table, said reel being driven by a belt 148, which runs through an aperture in said table and to the belt pulley 19 of the power shaft 53.

The outer end of the power shaft is bi- I turcated, the handle socket 150 being pro- Elli vided with a transverse pin 151, which, when said socket is telescopically engaged over the shaft end. engages between fur-cations to form a driving connection between the handle and shaft.

The complete series of operations and functions of the devices and attachments hereinbefore described in detail will now be described with respect to their sequential performance. One or more camera lilm magazines are loaded, in a dark-room, with reels oi sensitizedlilm, the magazine section 9 being turned to close the film opening 12, allowing the film to thread through the film aperture of the inner section 8, then circumt'ercntially between the Walls of both sections and out the film aperture of the outer sec tion 9.

Film magazines containing an empty film. reel and one of the loaded magazines are mounted on the uprights 3, as shown in Fig. 1, with the empty reel in driving connection with the power shaft. The film is threaded through the film controlling provision and to the rewind reel after which the cover 2 is positioned and latched on the base 1. The key 13 adjacent the loaded reel magazine 4 is then pushed inwardly to engage and turn the magazine section 9 thereof: to bring the film apertures into registry. and the handle is inserted and engages the power shaft through an aperture in the cover. After the moving film of the loaded reel is exposed and rewound on the driven reel, the key 13 adjacent the magazine 5 is turned to close the film opening 12 511311301 after which the cover 2 is removed to change the magazines.

The magazine 5, now containing a full reel of exposed negative film, is removed from the camera, the magazine 1-, now containing an empty reel, being repositioned on the uprights 3 to assume the position previously occupied by magazine 5, and a new, previously loaded magazine placed in position as magazine l. 'lhe film is again threaded through the camera and parts positioned, as above described. After the exposed negative films are developed they are rewonnd on the film reels with a strip of sensitized film. The lens-board of the film and light controlling unit is then removed and the printing plate 130 placed in position, as shown Fig. 9. The individual pictures are now properly trained by adjusting the local-plate 35, after which the films are run through the machine at a proper speed to print the sensitized film. The printed film, (which is a positive), is then developed, after which it may be used in any standard proj ecting machine.

W hen my improved machine is used, the film and light controlling unit is removed from the camerabox and mounted on the projecting table and connected to the film magazines 1 13 and 1&9, as shown in Fig. 1 1, the lever 115 being used to vertically adjust the lens-tube and focal-tube in unison to properly frame the individual picture of the lilm.

llt is therefore apparent that l have invented a simple, condensed moving-picture machine, unit or head, comprising a light control member, a film control member, the unitary, mounting and condensed arrange ment, enabling the ready interchangeability oi the unit for these diilerent uses.

1 have disclosed, but not claimed herein, certain novel and useful features such as the iilm reel mechanism, and certain features adapting the device for printing work, these mechanisms constituting independent inventions, for which applications are filed simultaneously with this amendment, said two applications being; respectively Serial No. 7842, tiled February 12, 1915, and Serial No. 78%, filed February 12, 1915.

Having; described my invention, 1 claim 1. 1n amotion-picture machine, a lenboard having a lined frame unitarily supporting a complete film feed mechanism comprising a main shaft, a film slide-way adjacent the lens aperture, and intermitting film feed mechanism adjacent the slide way, continuously rotating tension rolls upon opposite sides of the slide-Way and intermitting feed, said two sets of tension rolls and th intermitting lilm feed being substantially alined with the film slideway and arranged to loop the film both above and below the aperture, transmission mechanism connecting said continuous and intermitting feed mechanisms llti in positively driven relationship to the main shaft, and means for supporting the film reels in relation to the camera-board, and operating the same from the main shaft, enabling said unitary film feed mechanism to be interchangeably used for taking, printing and projecting pictures.

2. In a device of the class described, a unitary structure comprising a hollow ap'ertured lens board and a parallel closely adjacent film frame, a lens tube and a framing up device unitarily adjustable on the lens board, relative to the fixed film .frame,'a lens shutter operating in said hollow lens board, a film guide on said frame and an intermitting film feed on said frame, continuously rotating film feed tension rolls, a main shaft, gearing for 'operatmg the intermitting and continuous feeds as well as the' lens shutter, all located on said frame, and means for supporting the film rolls and operating the same from the main shaft.

3. In a device of the class described, front and rear members supported and fixed relative to one another, and unitarily mounted in closely-adjacent parallel vertical planes, light controlling mechanism comprising an adjustable lens tube and framing-up device carried by the front member and film controlling mechanism carried by. the rear member, constituting a compact unit adaptable for interchangeable use in taking, printing or projecting motionpictures.

4. In a device of the class described, a front or lens-board member, and a rear or film support member, mounted in fixed relation to one another and in closely adjacent parallel vertical planes, and constituting a compact unitary structure, light controlling mechanism comprising a detachable lens,

light-proof framing-up provision, and light shutter on the front member, means for unitarily adjusting the lens and framingup device on said front member, and film controlling mechanism comprising film feeding and guiding mechanism on the rear member, appropriately exposing a. given portion of the traveling film to the light controlling provision of the front member, said structure and cooperative mechanism constituting a unit enabling the interchangeable usage thereof, as described,

5. In a device of the class described, a lens-board, a pair of uprights secured in .fixed relation thereto, in closely adjacent vertically-parallel planes, light controlling mechanism on the lens-board, and film guide, supporting and feeding mechanism mounted on said uprights, constituting a laterally compact, unitary, structural and operative head, adapted for interchangeable usage in taking, printing or projecting motion-pictures.

6. In a device of the class described, a

front and rear member secured in fixed I member, comprising a top, bottom and intermediate shaft, approximately coincident vertically, continuously driven feed rollers controlled by the top and bottom shafts,

intermittent feed rollers controlled by the intermediate shaft, and a vertically disposed gear train on said rear member for simultaneously operating said continuous and intermittingly driven film feed shafts.

7. In a device of the class described, an apertured hollow lens-board, light controlling mechanism adjustable therein, a film supporting member mounted in fixed relation and closely adjacent to the lens-board, a film guide on said supporting member apertured adjacent the lens-board aperture, film feed rolls and actuating mechanism on said supporting member, a member hinged to the lower portion of said supporting member and closing against the film guide, and film feed rolls on said hinged member coacting with the film feed rollers of the supporting member, said hinged member be ing apertured adjacent to the aperture of the film guide.

8. In a device of the class described, a top, bottom and intermediate set of film feed rolls, means continuously rotating the top and bottom rolls and intermittingly rotatin the intermediate feed 'rolls, each set of fee rolls comprising sprocket members, and yielding surface-contact members, means for unitarily and simultaneously opening up the intermediate and bottom film feed rolls.

9. In a device of the class described, a unit comprising a closely adjacent and parallel lens-board and'film frame correspondngly apertured, continuously rotating and intermittently rotated film feed rolls on said frame, a vertical opening member hinged to said frame and having corresponding light apertures, tension feed rolls on said hinged member above and below said apertures co-' to the lens-board, and secured at its upperportion to the lens board, a member hinged to the lower portion of said lining member, light controlling means on the lens-boar and film feed devices on said frame on hinged member.

11. In a device of the class described, e

and

lens-board, a rectangular member, the front face of which is fixed to and forms a lining gular member, a film feed guide on said frame, film feed rolls on said frame, and a plate hinged relative to the lower portion of said frame and having rolls coacting with the frame feed rolls, said hinged member opening away from and closing against'the film guide, and adapted to release the film feed roll grip when open.

12. lln a device of the class described, the combination of continuously and intermittingly driven film feed rolls, each comprising sprocket and tension surface members, the continuous rolls and intermitting feed rolls being disposed on opposite sides of the film exposure aperture, said rolls bein disposed to form three sets of film feeds, with the intermitting feed rolls between the continuously driven rolls and below the film aperture, and a threading chute leading the film to the continuously driven sprocket and term sion feed rolls constituting the initial film feed provision, said chute and the film engaging portions of said feed rolls being in substantial vertical alinement.

13. lln a device of the class described, a fixed film guide, a coacting hinged film guide plate, feed rolls for the film fixed in relation to the fixed guide, coacting film feed rolls on the hinged plate, said plate and fixed guide being correspondingly apertured for film exposure, and said plate having a film loop aperture adjacent the feed rolls mounted on said swinging plate,

1st. In a device of the class described, a hollow apertured lens-hoard, a fixed film frame fixed in relation thereto, a film guide to said frame, feed d 196 on said a light ithin the hollow lensboard and inter wing the fecal aperture, means for driving uid. shutter from the film feed mechanism on the frame, framing-up mechanism adjustable on the lens-board, and a. film feed fire-prevention shutter on said hinged plate 15, ln a device of the class described, a lens-board, light controlling means thereon, a frame fixed in r lation to the board, film supporting, gui g, and feeding; meehanism on said frame, said board and frame constituting an upright unit, a camera-box section, detachable relative to said unit, the lens-board forming the front member of said section to provide light-tight box, film magazines dctachably supported within said box for tak. be secured relat e to the board in positive non-interfering with the film exposure area for projecting pictures.

16. 111 a device of the class described, a unitary lens-board and frame, light and film controlling mechanisms respectively mounted thereon, a box section forming with the lens-board a separable light-tight camera-box, film magazines detachably secured within the box in alinement with the film controlling mechanism, film reels within said magazines, and ropelling means therefor operated by the lm feed.

in witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe plat-e verti-e rolls and "re i shutter rotatable my name, as attested by the two subscribing witnesses.

. JHN T. WELLS. lVitne's-ses:

Cnanmren 3%, Fewer, L. A.

' pictures, and adapted to a 

